Monthly Archives: July 2008

On Saturday, July 26 a capacity crowd visited the library to attend an Artists’ Reception and Photography Exhibit in honor of Della Hardman Day.

The annual DELLA HARDMAN DAY, a celebration of the arts established by the Town of Oak Bluffs in 2005, was inspired by the life of Della B. Hardman, PhD (1922 -2005), Vineyard artist, civic activist & writer who chronicled cultural and social events in Oak Bluffs for the Vineyard Gazette for nearly a decade.

The Oak Bluffs Public Library, in conjunction with the fourth annual celebration on July 26, 2008, sponsored a contest to select images featuring photographs that will be on display at the library from July 25 to August 16. A calendar was also made from the winning entries and will be available for purchase at the library. Proceeds from the calendar will be used to support library programs.

Library Director, Danguole Budris; Library Trustee – Photography Judge, Harvey Beth; Della Hardman’s Daughter, Andrea Taylor; and special guest Haki R. Madhubuti were on hand to celebrate the occasion. Madhubuti, an accomplished author and poet, as well as the founder, publisher, & editor of Third World Press, provided an insightful lecture regarding his life and the powerful roll of the arts in improving the human condition. The audience and honored artists were deeply moved by his words and the readings from several of his books:

Thomas Dresser, author of “Mystery on the Vineyard: politics, passion, & scandal on East Chop”, spoke to a rapt audience at the library on Thursday, July 24. Many people in the crowd were familiar with the murder that was the topic of his latest literary endeavor, making for an interesting discussion session following his talk.

Dresser shared excerpts from his book and discussed the research techniques that he utilized; which culminated in a trip to Alabama while tracking down the history of one of the murder suspects.

If you haven’t read about this historic local event, check out a copy from the library today:

Recently, the Oak Bluffs Public Library was awarded a grant to participate in the EqualAccess Libraries Program. One of the grant requirements is that we assess the needs of active, older adults in our area. This brief survey is designed to gather some facts about you and identify what library services you want to see offered. Don’t worry if you are not an “older adult”, we’re interested in your feedback no matter how old you are!